This past weekend was a nice getaway for Desi and I. I treated her to a night in Niagara Falls, complete with dinner at the Skylon rotating dining room overlooking the city. We had a absolutely wonderful time, and it has convinced me that we should have little getaways like this more often. This was the best Valentine’s Day ever, I love you very much Desi! Here’s a photo of us by the falls:

I took a moment to take the photos needed to make a panorama of the falls. Here’s a very small version of the panorama, the full version is 236 megapixels:

We visited the casino and had a great time spending $12 and winning back $2. We were a little startled when we found out that the parking cost more than our gambling though! Our final stop before we headed home was another surprise – the butterfly conservatory. Desi and I walked around the paths about three times, chasing after the butterflies for photos, and just enjoying the tropical environment in the dead of winter. I got some great photos, and Desi too!

Some of the butterflies were extremely colourful, and the the photos turned out great. Desi and I were talking around and pointing out the most colourful ones, especially the wings on this one:

We really enjoyed our visit to the butterfly conservatory, and noticed some nice hiking trails in the area. This is probably a place we’ll go back to in the summer! Here’s another photo, and the gallery below:

 

And I’d like to take a moment and thank everyone for all of the comments you leave on my blog. I read every one and look forward to them always. Thanks so much!

Desi and I have made a wonderfully artistic tradition. Every January 14th, the anniversary of us starting to date, we make a painting together. Last year’s was the first oil painting I ever made, even in part, and it turned out great. This year we tried something a little different. I painted the bottom and Desi painted the top, and then we overlapped and contributed to the whole. Enjoy!

And for those daring, here is a larger version. I actually took the photo in segments, and combined them in a vertical panorama. The full version is 54 megapixel, perfect to reprint it if we ever want to make a copy. What do you think of this tradition? I love it, and I am already looking forward to next year.

Who says film is dead? Actually, its close. Film is sitting on shelves for so long that it expires. I don’t let it go to waste though! I decided to shoot a few roles of expired film through my Canon EOS 1N camera on New Years, a nice way to greet the new year. In an era where cameras with 60MP sensors have a commercial price tag, I’ll ring in the new year with black & white film:

The film didn’t turn out too bad, though the colour roll was a little discoloured and difficult to correct. We had a great evening, tons of games, jokes, laughs and wonderful memories. Brent, Steve and Lorraine came to visit, and joined with Desi and I, Karryna and Kevin, and Mom and Walter. Great company, and a great evening even into the new year (and seconds before):

Check through the gallery and let me know what you think! Film certainly has a different feel than digital. I used a special scanning technique that does multiple exposures of the negatives. How do you think it turned out?

 

I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I hope everyone achieves the goals they have set for themselves this year.

New Years was great, as it usually is. On New Years Day we decided to head down to the park to build a snowman. When we got there the snow just wasn’t sticky enough for making anything larger than a snowball – so snowballs it was. It was a blast! Desi and I, Mom and Walter, and Karryna and her boyfriend Kevin all had tons of fun. Check it out in the gallery below:

 

Oh, and I’ll have photos from New Years Eve soon – just need to get the film developed. Yep, I shot two roles of film for New Years Eve. Nothing digital.

Christmas is always a busy time of the year for Desi and I; It’s also one of the most rewarding times of the year for both of us. We’d like to wish everyone  a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Our journey started from Toronto, heading up to Sudbury for Christmas Eve. A small amount of snow and fog had fit the night before, whcih made many of the trees glow in the sunlight. I stopped on the side of the road to capture this up-close:

The trip up was uneventful, and we were greeted with a new section of Highway 69 – making our travels a little faster. I had brought a few photobooks to share, and I think it was a hit:

We also brought the albums containing all of our Europe photos, which Desi guided Grandma and Katie through:

It was such a wonderful evening, as it always is. I’d never miss it for the world. The dinner was fantastic as always, as was the gift sharing:

Desi and I had such a wonderful time and want to extend our sincerest thank-yous to everyone. Christmas Eve continues to be one of my favourite days of the year – with good cause. Thanks everyone! We were sorry we had to leave early, but we needed to be back in Toronto before midnight. Desi’s family tradition is to have a feast just after midnight, and exchange gifts then. It really couldn’t have worked out better as we didn’t have to choose one place over another – we were able to be everywhere when we needed to be. This Christmas Eve was one of the best ever!

Christmas Day was even better. Desi and I left early to exchange gifts at home with mom and Walter. Everyone was so happy, joking and laughing. It was Christmas morning exactly as I remember it, and even better. Desi’s mom and brother came for lunch, and we had a great time. It was the first time they had visited, and the first time our two families had any conversations at length. Definitely not the last though, as they are welcome any time. We took a great photo of everyone before they had to go:

Thanks to everyone we saw, and everyone that thought of us during this wonderful holiday. Desi and I wish you the very best for the next year!